Thomas Mittler

Thomas Eduard Mittler Thomas Mittler, 83, died of a respiratory infection on March 13, 2012. Born in Vienna, Austria on September 18, 1928, Thomas (Tom) was the second child of Stefan (Stephan) Leo Mittler and Anna Hofmann. Following the 1938 Anschluss, the family fled their native Austria and moved to England. As a young man, he exhibited a talent for drawing and painting, making amongst other things fine watercolors of his beloved Alps. Tom got his B.S. in zoology from London University in 1949 and his Ph.D. in insect physiology from the University of Cambridge in 1954. After getting his degree, he took short-term positions in London, Canada, and Denmark before taking a permanent position as an entomologist at the University of California at Berkeley in 1961. He had a distinguished career, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed papers, mentoring graduate students, and serving as editor for two premier entomology journals: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (20 years) and the Annual Review of Entomology (32 years). He also spoke many languages and was a gracious host to a succession of visiting scientists from around the world. Tom enjoyed a long and happy marriage to his Danish wife, Bergliot (Tutten) Finsen (who passed away in December). His family thinks he died, in part, of a broken heart. Tom and Tutten enjoyed skiing, ice dancing, swimming, and good Danish food. Tom and Tutten travelled extensively, enjoying numerous family vacations in Hawaii, Mexico, Denmark, England, and Lake Tahoe. Tom and Tutten provided their two sons with happy upbringings and excellent educations, enriched with music, sports activities and travel. Tom was a truly warm and personable spirit with a unique ability to make new friends wherever he went. His lifelong curiosity about the world around him, quick wit and aptitude for conversation was beloved by family and friends alike. Tom had a special love for electronic gadgets, and was an early adopter of cutting-edge products, such as the Apple II and the iPad. He also enjoyed working around the house, doing his own plumbing, painting, and carpentry, as well as planting flowers, bushes, and trees in his large garden. In all of his activities, he relished the challenge of planning ahead and optimizing arrangements; for example, figuring out exactly where to plant a small tree so that when fully grown it would perfectly block the view of an ugly telephone pole. Tom is survived his sister Susanna (Susi); his son Eric married to April; his son John married to Patricia; his grandson Matthew; and relatives in England and the United States. He will also be missed by numerous friends and in-laws in Denmark and Sweden, as well as former students and colleagues from around the world. The family will have an informal gathering to celebrate Tom's life on May 12, 2012. (Please contact april@escamilla.com for information). In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations be made in Tom's memory to the classical music station KDFC.